The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Operations Risk Specialist (L2)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering control walkthroughs, identifying basic control gaps, managing a portfolio of controls for a specific operational area, and delivering routine risk assessments independently.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering high-quality routine risk assessments without significant oversight.
- Proactively identifying and escalating emerging risks within your assigned operational areas.
- Demonstrating strong communication skills with operational peers and mid-level managers.
- Taking initiative to improve existing control processes.
- 2
Internal Auditor (2-4 years experience)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Deep understanding of internal control frameworks, audit methodologies, evidence gathering, and report writing. Transitioning from identifying issues to designing solutions.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven ability to identify control weaknesses and provide practical recommendations.
- Strong analytical and investigative skills, with a focus on root cause identification.
- Experience presenting audit findings to business unit leaders.
- A desire to move from assurance to proactive risk management and control design.
- 3
Process Improvement/Excellence Specialist
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Expertise in process mapping, Lean Six Sigma methodologies, and identifying inefficiencies. Learning to overlay a risk lens onto process design and optimisation.
You're ready to move on when
- Demonstrable experience in re-engineering complex operational processes.
- Strong analytical skills with a focus on data-driven process improvements.
- Ability to influence operational teams to adopt new ways of working.
- A keen interest in identifying and mitigating process-related risks.